When Things Go Wrong
Behavior
modification is not working.
My
dog has bitten someone! American based
site with advice for all. Check your own
laws (municiple, state, provincial, national,
etc.,)
Training / trainer
Issues
If you have
sent money either by mail or paid online
for a service, or goods, and the business/trainer
has not fuffilled their obligations
I have been doing behavior modification
but its not working.
1) The methods you are using may not
appropriate for his or her issues. People
who are using aversive or punishing
methods to suppress the behavior will
often find that they are increasing
the anxiety rather than decreasing
it. This means while the behavior
may be temporarily suppressed, the
dog's mood and attitude towards his
triggers have not been improved.
2) You are using positive methods
for counter-conditioning, but your
dog is still being exposed to his or
her triggers beyond his or her comfort
levels. For example, it's not
enough to do behavior modification
with your dog-aggressive dog and your
friend's dog when your dog still gets
ambushed by strange or off leash dogs. If
your dog is still behaving anxiously
or aggressively, the neural pathways
involved in these behaviors and emotions
become stronger.
3) Moving too close too quickly. Most
people think they are making progress
if their dogs are not behaving aggressively. For
counter-conditioning to be effective,
it should occur in a situation where
the dog can be encouraged to relax. It
may be that you are too close, there
are too many distractions, or there
are too many factors causing additional
stress. Even if your dog is
not behaving aggressively, if he or
she is anxious, then this is an aversive
experience. He will not be able
or relax and learn to associate anything
positive with the experience. This
is one of the most common reasons for
set backs.
4) The dog has not been taught to
relax on cue in the absence of the
stimuli. If the dog can't relax on
cue in the absence of the stimuli,
then he or she will not be able to
do it in any other challenging situation. This
is another very common reason for not
seeing progress.
5) The dog is unable to relax in the
absence of the stimuli. Then
medication may be needed. If
any neurochemical are out of normal
range, then it will be an uphill battle
trying to modify behavior for the positive.
Although experiences can change neurochemical
levels, medication might so it faster
and reduce anxiety enough that the
dog is able to learn.
6) You are unable to relax in the
presence of the stimuli. You
may be transmitting to your dog that
there is something, in fact, to be
worried about. However after we have
had some negative experiences in the
past, its natural that we may be unable
to relax. In that case, we should
allow ourselves to progress at a rate
with our dogs that we are comfortable
with. You may also find a book
called Conquering Ring Nerves.
Training Issues
Rumor has it that “dog people”,
are a special breed. Some people say that
dog trainers are often difficult people
to get a long with. They can be tough
and won’t let owners get away with
the kinds of things the owners are letting
their dogs get away with.
However, the relationship you have with
a aggression consultant / dog trainer
or trainer is an important one. If you
feel that the aggression consultant /
dog trainer does not treat you with dignity
and respect, it will add the burden of
stress you are already experiencing owning
an aggressive dog. For some, this is enough
to put them off dog trainers forever.
That is why you need to feel good about
who you consult. Training an aggressive
dog can be frustrating at times. There
is no need to put up with mind games,
abuse, or being treated disrespectfully.
The aggression consultant
/ dog trainer talks down to me
The aggression consultant
/ dog trainer makes me feel stupid
The aggression
consultant / dog trainers contradicts
themselves
The aggression consultant
/ dog trainer often cancels appointments
The aggression consultant
/ dog trainer won’t return my calls,
or emails
The aggression
consultant / dog trainer won’t
answer my questions satisfactorily
The aggression
consultant / dog trainer is charging
me an arm and a leg
The aggression consultant
/ dog trainer says my dog can get all
he needs in a class
The aggression consultant
/ dog trainer wants to train my dog
himself or herself
The aggression consultant
/ dog trainer refuses to give my dog
back until he is trained properly
The aggression consultant
/ dog trainer cashed my check but is
not fulfilling his or her obligations
The aggression
consultant / dog trainer says my dog
doesn't have a problem with him/her
The aggression consultant
/ dog trainer says my dog can’t
be helped
The aggression consultant
/ dog trainer says I am my dog’s
problem
There is no trainer
who deals with aggressive dogs near
me
I picked up my dog
from the aggression consultant / dog
trainer and he seems unwell / depressed
/ too thin
I am finding treatment
too much work
I think I
need to give up my dog
The aggression consultant
/ dog trainer makes me feel stupid
Remind yourself that dog trainers are
like anyone else. They can get frustrated
teaching dog owners the same things
over and over and have dog owners not
follow through. Sometimes they forget
just how much they know. Try to understand
their situation, and remind them of
how new it is for you. Try to remain
unemotional.
However, someaggression consultant
/ dog trainers try to make themselves
feel powerful by making others feel
small. Some will alternate between making
you feel great and then getting upset
with you. These can be manipulative
tactics to make you to convince you
that you need the aggression consultant
/ dog trainers help.
While this unpleasant personality trait
says nothing about the aggression consultant
/ dog trainer's abilities, it may be
part of his taking advantage of your
vulnerability, either for business or
personal reasons. If you find you're
desire to please the aggression consultant
/ dog trainer interferes with your asking
questions, or getting the help you need,
reevaluate your behavior, or seek help
else where.
Remember, you don't have to put up
with anything you don't wish to: there
are other talented aggression consultants
/ dog trainers to consult.
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The aggression
consultant / dog trainers contradicts
themselves
If you are in a classroom situation,
a trainer may contradict himself or
herself if they are referring to different
dogs. What may be good for one dog may
not work for another. Make sure you
get the information you need for your
dog if you are confused. Always ask
questions to make sure you are clear.
Try to talk to the aggression consultant
/ dog trainer individually if you can.
However, a aggression consultant / dog
trainer who is inconsistent may not
be taking the time to get to know what
your dog needs. Speak to the aggression
consultant / dog trainer if you feel
it is simple an oversight. However,
if this persists, it may be time to
seek help from another.
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The aggression consultant
/ dog trainer often cancels appointments
or classes
This is bad news. No professional will
repeatedly do this. The kind of aggression
consultant / dog trainer who does this
repeatedly is often the kind of person
who does not fully respect their clients.
It may be time to seek another. A person
who often cancels may be disorganized;
playing a one-up-man-ship game with
you, or trying to make you more dependent
on them on some level. Stay away from
these kinds of people. They may have
a perfectly convincing explanation,
but be aware if it becomes a pattern.
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page)
The aggression consultant
/ dog trainer won’t return my calls,
or emails
This is not professional behavior. The
kind of aggression consultant / dog
trainer who does this repeatedly is
often the kind of person who does not
fully respect their clients. It may
be time to seek another. A professional
should give you a reasonable idea of
how long he will take before they can
get back to you. You should be happy
with this, or you need to find someone
who can meet your needs. 24 hours is
often a good starting point.
But a aggression consultant / dog trainer
who repeatedly ignores your calls or
emails or if they claim to be too busy
to return your calls or emails may be
playing a one-up-man-ship game with
you; or trying to make you more dependent
on them. Stay away from these kinds
of people. They may have a perfectly
convincing explanation, but be aware
if it becomes a pattern.
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The aggression
consultant / dog trainer won’t answer
my questions satisfactorily
Communication is key is any kind of
learning environment. Ideally make a
list of questions you want answered
before hand if possible. If you are
paying the aggression consultant / dog
trainer, you have every right to expect
a service that works for you. If you
are asking questions by email, and you
are finding yourself ignored, ask the
person about it. It may be it was an
oversight, or perhaps there was no easy
answer.
But a aggression consultant / dog trainer
who repeatedly ignores your questions,
or does not answer them clearly may
be playing a one-up-man-ship game with
you, or trying to make you more dependent
on them. Stay away from these kinds
of people. They may have a perfectly
convincing explanation, but be aware
if it becomes a pattern.
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page)
The aggression
consultant / dog trainer is charging me
an arm and a leg
The cost of sessions or classes should
always be discussed ahead of time and
put into writing. Make sure you know
what the aggression consultant / dog
trainer will charge if you happen to
go over your time limit. Ask them if
they can give you an idea how many sessions
you will need. Remind yourself that
we often pay a lot of money to a vet
to help our dogs. Your dog’s treatment
for aggression should deserve the same
consideration.
However, be note that there are plenty
of opportunists out there. Some aggression
consultant / dog trainers look for ways
to make you dependent on their services/classes,
either by not giving you the help you
really need, or by insisting your dog
behavior is worse than it is (barking
at stranger coming to the door, for
example, does not mean your dog will
resort to aggression). While some aggression
problems can take a fair amount of time
to tackle, this does not mean you need
to be paying for a aggression consultant
/ dog trainer for the rest of your life.
A trainer can help you stay on track,
but the bulk of the work occurs between
you and your dog. A aggression consultant
/ dog trainer should show you how to
deal with your dog, not train the dog
himself. You should not feel like you
are dependent on a trainer after a certain
amount of time.
Just because a aggression consultant
/ dog trainer charges a lot or very
little, does not mean they are any better
or worse than another.
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The aggression consultant
/ dog trainer says my dog can get all
he needs in a class
Maybe. But then, maybe the aggression
consultant / dog trainer does not want
to deal with you individually, and would
like you to participate in their classes
instead. After all, its easier to make
more money that way. If you feel
you need individual help: find someone
to give it to you. Generally aggression
is dogs is unique in that they , you,
and your relationship is unique..
The aggression consultant
/ dog trainer wants to train my dog himself
or herself
This is a mistake. Time to seek another
aggression consultant / dog trainer.
You need to be involved.
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page)
The aggression consultant
/ dog trainer refuses to give my dog back
until he is trained properly
Call the police local to where the
dog apparently is, immediately.
No trainer has the right to withhold
your dog from you, regardless of his
problems and even if you have signed
a contract.
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The aggression consultant
/ dog trainer cashed my check, but is
not fulfilling his or her obligations
Speak to the aggression consultant /
dog trainer first and try to resolve
the issue. If you do not get anywhere,
file a small claim court claim, or call
the better Business Bureau. Filing a
small claims court claim is not all
that costly, and you may be able to
get the court costs back. The Better
Business Bureau will try to resolve
disputes without costs, and can eventually
give a bad report on a business for
others.
While it may seem like a lot of trouble,
proactive behavior you will feel better
in the end. At the same time you may
also be helping other people from becoming
victimized.
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The aggression
consultant / dog trainer says my dog doesn't
have a problem with him/her
Make sure you understand what the aggression
consultant / dog trainer means by this.
Perhaps they are trying to get more
information from you, or they are trying
to demonstrate that you need to change
your own behavior.
But aggression consultant / dog trainer
may be trying to make you feel like
you are the problem as a way
to make you dependent on him/her. Generally
your word of what the problem is should
be enough for you to get proper help.
Also note, that aggression consultant
/ dog trainer's have an advantage that
can make them appear as if they have
great abilities. Your dog does not have
the history with the aggression consultant
/ dog trainer that he does with you.
In all likelihood your dog may be on
his best behavior because he doesn't
know what to expect from the aggression
consultant / dog trainer, and the aggression
consultant / dog trainer is not letting
him get away with the things you have.
The aggression consultant
/ dog trainer says my dog can’t be
helped
Determine exactly what you need , write
it down and talk to another aggression
consultant / dog trainer. There is no
sense in arguing with one, or giving
up. Some aggression problems will not
be cured, but they might be managed
safely. In all likelihood you will eventually
find someone who can truly help. Make
sure you explore all your options before
giving up.
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The aggression consultant
/ dog trainer says I am my dog’s
problem
Find out exactly what has prompted them
to say this. The truth is most program
fail because of lack of owner compliance.
Are you letting your dog get away with
things he shouldn’t? Are you inconsistent?
Do you need help staying committed
to improving your dog's aggression?
If you suspect this might be the case,
don’t throw in the towel. Remind
yourself you will need to change right
along with your dog and this takes time.
Don’t expect to be able to change
overnight.
If you are feeling guilty that a program
is not making your dog’s life as
easy as it used to, spend time learning
about how dogs think and what makes
them tick. Often our difficulties stem
out of projecting human desires and
feelings on dogs, but once we know more
about them, we find its easier to do
what is necessary.
Participate in your own learning. Do
research, and spend time planning how
to be a better dog owner. Lots of us
softies have become strong leaders for
our dogs.
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page)
There is no
aggressive dog specialist near me
You might also be able to consult
with a behaviorist
at a greater distance from you that
can outline a program with you, and
then find a trainer closer to home who
can help you with this program. Check
with a veterinary school closest to
you for a behaviorist (see resources).
Some veterinary behaviorist will also
do phone consulations with video tape
of your dog or would be willing to consult
with your own vet.
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page)
I picked up my
dog from the aggression consultant / dog
trainer and he seems unwell / depressed
Take your dog to a vet immeidatly and
give the vet all the information you
have. Its better to be safe than sorry.
Retain the bill. Speak to the aggression
consultant / dog trainer to find out
what happened.
If you suspect any kind of abuse
or neglect, regardless of how caring,
nice or concerned consultant / dog trainer
or facility is, the call the proper
authorities immeidately. If you
are unsure who they are, call the police,
and they will probably be able to help
you. Ask your vet for a detailed record
of the findings. If neglect or abuse
is an issue, you can be sure it is a
pattern. Additionally, if there is fault
with who ever cared for your dog, you
might be able to get your vet bills
paid, and possibly training fees refunded,
either by agreement, or through a small
claims court action.
I am finding treatment
too much work
We have all been there at some point.
You might be feeling discouraged for
a number of reasons. It might help you
to join an egroup
such as
k9aggression-support where people
are going or have gone through similar
experiences. For now, as long as you
don't undermine your dog's treatment,
and can keep those around your dog safe,
there is no reason why you can't take
a break, until you feel better.
If you have
sent money either by mail or paid online
for a service, or goods, and the business/trainer
has not fulfilled their obligations
- If an item was purchased online, ask
the merchant for a shipping number to
trace the package is they claim it has
been sent. In Canada the Post Office
has an item number on the receipt that
can be used for tracing packages, and
probably the US and the UK also have
something similar. Couriers also have
something like this as well. Obviously
if the person is unable to produce information
for tracking you will need to go to
the next step. Alternatively, You can
ask for a refund directly. Keep a copy
of all correspondence.
- If an item was purchased online, you
can try contacting the ecommerce company
who may have facilitated the sale. You
will need proof that you paid for the
item(s) which you probably got in some
kind of confirmation email. People have
been able to get their full money refunded,
so this is an excellent route.
- Contact the Better
Business Bureau if in the US or
Canada. You will need the address, and
it would probably help to have additional
info such as the phone number and /
or web address. The business doesn't
need to be a member. The BBB
offers dispute resolution at no cost,
as well as a opportunity to file a complaint.
- Contact the police. Police will often
help resolve disputes. If you are purchasing
internationally, or out of state or
province) try to call the local police.
With a bit of research you can probably
find numbers online. Fraud and theft
is a criminal offense.
- If this person is doing sales by internet
and you truly believe this person is
trying to rip you off, contact their
IP, or service provider, or web site
host, if you have had email correspondence
with the person and you purchased online.
Many service providers have a place
where you can complain online. Many
service providers and web hosts are
interested in all complaints. If you
are unable to determine the service
provider from the email information,
forward all the header information to
your own ISP, and ask if they can help
you file a complaint.
- If you need additional information,
it is worth contacting anyone else who
may have information you need, such
as other clients, other business associates,
other trainers, references, etc..
- Training issues may be a little more
difficult to prove. File a small claims
court action. In many cases, most of
the proceedings can be done by mail
depending on where you live. In some
areas, the procedures and forms are
available online. Court costs are usually
low, and can be claimed if you win.
Lawyers are not needed. We know someone
who did this and won all back the money
paid, as well as all their court fees.
- Sadly we know of a person who had
been sent money to ship a dog back to
his owners and various excuses were
made for not doing it.
This is a serious situation that can
leave owners feeling very desperate
regardless of whether money was sent.
Dogs are considered property in many
countries, states and provinces, which
means if the dog is not being returned
to its rightful owner after requesting
the dog back, the business or person
is committing a form of theft. This
is regardless of any contract you may
have signed, unless you signed over
ownership.
If your dog is not being returned, the
police should be called to resolve the
situation immediately. If money was
sent then this becomes a more serious
legal issue that you need the authorities
to handle. Call the police local to
where the dog apparently is, and don't
be afraid to request that the local
society of prevention of cruelty to
animals be involved, if the dog seems
unwell, or if there are any other suspicious
circumstances.
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to making a positive difference in the
lives of aggressive dogs, their owners
and those around them. By providing education,
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action, and understanding.
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